Looking After My Heart
by DarkAngel91398
Summary: I wasn't supposed to fall for you; I was just following orders.. I was sent to protect you.. Who knew it'd become something more? But will Brick's bad side, Dexter, and Berserk get in the way?
1. Prologue

Looking After My Heart... Brick X Blossom... By the insane Dark Angel 91398..

Blossom: Dark Angel owns nothing but the fanfictions she writes, her ideas, and her account.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_/

Prologue: Dark One.. ^^Brick's POV^^

"Watch the hell out!" I screeched as I tackled my stupid younger brother out of the way of the enemy's reach.

"What the hell.." Bandit panted, his eggplant purple eyes watching the sword crash into the spot where he stood before the opponent troop was shot.

"Goddamn, be careful!" Butch yelled at us, aiming a bullet carefully at the threatening angel soldier ahead of him.

I felt sweat trickle down my brow and noticed there were a lot less of the enemies than allies around.

The corner of my lips pulled up into a grin and I reloaded a gun, tossing it Boomer's way. My lucky red baseball cap must be working its magic from under my helmet.

"Thanks, Brick!" Boomer shouted, his ocean blue eyes glimmering.

For a few tense moments, all was quiet and calm; the eye of the storm always was the most serene part. And then, all hell broke loose as we heard the explosion.

I turned, my blood red eyes widening at the sight of the smoke cloud, and I saw the general stagger out unharmed. I let out a sigh and approached him.

"Sir, post clear from enemy!" I said, saluting General Antonio John Utonium proudly.

"Good work, son!" General announced, patting my back.

"Thank you, sir." I said, beaming as I put my arm down.

My brothers and the other troops were celebrating excitedly, the opposing troops of angels were retreating, and I was feeling extremely euphoric about winning the battle.

And that's when it happened: A dying, traitorous troop pulled out his rifle, aimed carefully, and shot. I pulled General Untonium out of the way, but it was a moment too late.

The bullet spun like a speeding torpedo through the general's jacket and uniform, into his stomach, and out. I winced, trying to stop the blood that poured out of the man weakly.

In an instant, Boomer bolted over to us as Butch and Bandit tried to get help while other men panicked or were blissfully ignorant of the catastrophe that happened.

"Boomer, p-please get the dog tags from Sergant Williamson.." the general coughed, wincing.

"Y-Yes, sir! Right away, sir!" Boomer said, rushing to find the said man.

"Brick, you and your brothers have always been like sons to me.." Utonium started.

"Thank you, sir." I mumbled.

"And, I know this is sudden, but..." he reached in his pocket and handed me a note. "Take this. Do not open it yet.. But promise me, you'll listen."

"Y-yes, sir." I nodded, numbly clenching my fist around the white paper.

"Thank you.. Brick.." he smiled weakly.

Just then, Bandit and Butch rushed over with first aid. The doctor and the male nurse quickly carried General Untonium over, leaving me with my brothers.

"Oh, shit, think he'll make it?" Butch asked.

"Honestly? No." Bandit shuddered.

".. I don't wanna think about it." I replied.

"Hey, what's with the paper?" Butch demanded,eyeing the crumpled letter with interested forest green eyes.

"I'll tell you later. Go find Boomer." I snarled.

"Aye-aye, Captain!" he exclaimed sarcastically.

I watched as Bandit followed Butch away before I read the note in my hand.

"Dear Brick

~If you're reading this, something life threatening has happened to me and I am unlikely to recover. In any case, the reason you are reading this is because I have one last order for you.

You have to watch, guard, protect my precious daughter, Blossom. She is not my daughter by blood; I adopted her and her biological sisters years ago, but that's not the matter at hand.

Your brothers will recieve notes similiar to this about my other daughters, but your main objective is keeping my little girl safe.

You have been discharged from the ranks honorably and are to go to my house to stay with Blossom. Please guard her with your life, Brick. Thank you.~ General Antonio John Utonium"

'HE'S MAKING ME BABYSIT?" my evil side screamed in anger. "HELL NO!"

Pushing the thought aside, I sighed and stuffed the note in my pocket. Everyone needed to get a little rest tonight..

I sighed as I laid in my usual spot in my bunk where my bunkmates, Arizona and Ezra, were talking about the gun incident with the general.

"Yeah, I heard.." Ezra paused dramatically. "The general didn't survive."

"Ez, do me a favor and shut up. It's lights out." I snapped, irked at my obnoxious roomates.

"Y-yeah. Sure thing, Brick!" Arizona interrupted, slamming a hand over his twin's mouth.

"Good." I snarled, feeling the dark around me as the lights flipped off.

Worry gnawed at my stomach, but I pushed it aside quickly and determinedly.

After all, the two blond twins were known to gossip none stop and their blue eyes made you believe the rumors were true.

I yawned and turned on my side, my fire-red spikes falling behind me like a bloody waterfall.

I covered my head with the blanket and slumber carried me off as soon as I closed my tired blood red eyes.

_-_-_-_-_-_-_~ Brick's Dream~

I was six years old in a slightly familiar garden.

My usual army attire was replaced with a red collared shirt, black jeans, and a beat-up pair of Converses. My red cap was perched precociously on my head.

I was chasing a petite girl who I somehow knew was a year younger than me as she darted around a tame hedge of pale pink roses, leaving musical giggling behind her.

She had ember-red hair that danced around her tiny waist and her bangs slightly covered innocent rose-pink eyes that held a certain charm to them.

A large red bow flickered in the wind like a cat's ears and red-and-pink heart clip pulled a small portion of locks back.

The girl was wearing a cotton candy pink dress with a band of black ribbon around her waist in a bow, her arms wrapped around something that belonged to me.

"Come and get me, Brick!" the girl teased lightly, a lovely chortle following the words.

"I will! And when I do, I'm gonna-!" my mouth formed words that I hadn't even thought of saying.

What I wanted to ask was where I am and who is she. But I was saying things that just flowed from my lips mindlessly.

"Are you threatening me?" she laughed. "I'll tell my dad, Brickie!"

I had just pulled the black bow on her dress and was about to catch her, my fingers slipping through her strawberry-scented tresses and-.

I woke with a jolt in my bunk, my body covered in a light sheen of sweat and my breath shallow, panting softly.

Crickets sang with the owls outside and I could hear the slight snores of Ezra and Arizona among their sleep mumbling.

I slowed my breathing down slightly and clutched my chest, trying to control my pounding heart.

Why did I just have a dream about a girl and being a kid? And why am I hyperventilating, reacting, like this to it?

I felt my cheeks tingle and I touched them cautiously. Sure enough, they felt as if they were on fire.

Why is this happening? I sighed, but my thoughts brought the girl back. I felt my face heat up again as I imagined her laugh.

If she was a year younger than me... What did she look like now?

Was she a punk or a diva? Was she emo? Preppy? Popular or socially awkward?

I groaned and rubbing both temples, tried to forget the mysterious beautiful girl from my dreams when another thought hit me.

Why did I hate her?

I whimpered and dove under the covers again, sliding my head under my pillow.

I am a demon troop, thinking about a presumably human girl. I need to focus on sleeping.

I closed my eyes and prayed for the dawning lavender sky with its fading diamonds to save me, but the door opened with a creak and someone approached my sleeping rut.

*~*~*~*~* Blossom's POV

I gasped, waking up, my red hair ruffled from a deep slumber in my pink silk comforter.

I was dreaming about him again. I hadn't seen him in years since childhood, but I kept having his voice, his touch, his face in my sleep.

I heard my phone ringing softly on my oak dresser near my lamp and I grabbed it, pressing the "accept" button immediately.

It was a habit since Dad went back to the military.

"Hello?" I asked, my voice clear but a little polluted with sleep.

"Yes, hello, is this Blossom Ashley Utonium speaking?" a voice similiar to my nightmare's asked.

"Yes. Who is this and why did you call?" I asked, fearing the worst.

"Brick Arias Jojo, ma'am. I have bad news." he replied slowly. At least, he confirmed it was him..

"Oh my gosh.. Is my dad ok?" I panicked slightly, my calm exterior slipping drastically.

".. I-I'm sorry.. Your father.. Died, Miss.. I-I'm horribly sorry.." Brick said in a soft, sad voice. "The funeral is tomorrow.."

But I couldn't hear his voice as I broke down with a sob, plopping down on my bed.

~End Of Chapter~

Blossom: Review and get...

Brick: A candied apple!


	2. Chapter One: Funeral

Looking After My Heart... Brick X Blossom... By the insane Dark Angel 91398..

Blossom: Dark Angel owns nothing but the fan fictions she writes, her ideas, and her account.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_/

Chapter One: Funeral.. ^^Brick's POV^^

I yawned sleepily as I got ready for the general's funeral and ran my fingers through my long hair as I thought about the general's daughter. I was currently eating my last army meal. Though I'd miss certain people, I would never miss the food. But the girl was on my mind.

Blossom.. Last night, a commander ordered me to call her and inform her that General Utonium had died, had to listen to her wail and had to comfort her awkwardly over the phone.

As odd and unusual the circumstances are, I was a little glad that I was meeting Blossom. I couldn't remember much before joining the demon war, though I did have scraps of memories left.

'Is this really a good idea, meeting this chick?' my evil side fretted angrily.

'Why wouldn't it be?' I sighed back.

I have a problem; the other half of my is cruel, sadistic, and blood lust loving. When I lose my cool, the other side of me comes out. Meaning that I go on a complete homicidal rampage and destroy whatever the hell I want.

'Well, for once, let's think about this: I hated her when I was younger.' the evil spoke.

'But you don't remember her.' I pointed out sanely.

'That's besides the point! If she pisses me off, do you really think I'll just take it or do you think I'll end up stabbing her!" he screeched.

'.. Well, when you put it _that_ way!' I snorted.

'.. Remember this now: If she ends up hurt, dead, bloody, or some other thing, it will be all your fault..' he hissed, leaving my conscious side.

I shuddered violently and Butch snapped his fingers in front of my face to regain attention. I looked at him and he grinned.

"Welcome back to Earth, comrade!" Butch declared sarcastically, his forest green eyes glimmering in the mess hall's dim lighting.

"I can't believe the best general this army's ever had just died.." Bandit whined, his eggplant purple eyes darkened with a tinge of black.

"Not as if it matters. We're dismissed, remember?" Boomer piped up from the food he was stabbing at with a fork.

"What is this shit anyway!" I growled, trying to detect movement or any signs of life.

"I dunno, but it's delicious." Butch burped, finishing off his plate.

"Gross.." Bandit sneered, shoving the slop away from himself and to Butch.

"Hell yeah! Hey, Boom, Brick! You gonna finish that?" Butch asked, digging into Bandit's abandoned breakfast.

I shook my head, passing Butch the meals. Boomer was fiddling with his golden hair, trying to get it to stay out of his ocean eyes.

"Right after this.. We have to go.." Boomer mumbled.

"All right, boys. Is everyone ready to go?" a commanding officer asked as he walked in.

"Sir, yes, sir!" everyone said, saluting.

"All right, men. Let's go." he nodded.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-/

".. General Utonium was a good man. May he rest in peace." the man said, finally ending his speech.

I blinked, realizing that I had asleep on my feet and daydreaming about the dead man's daughter. Of course.. Why not? I barely even know what the hell is going on anyway.

'Brick, you're letting some dumb _girl_ make you drop out and everything!" the dark side screamed furiously.

'Shut up. I don't need your criticism. General Utonium trusted _me_ with protecting her.' I growled proudly.

'Probably because he couldn't find a good babysitter.' he snickered, taunting me.

'This conversation is over, you murderer.' I spat, focusing again.

"You may now all throw your roses." Sergeant Williamson commanded in a booming voice, throwing his own white rose on to the general's casket as the ground swallowed the coffin slowly.

It was a tradition in the Utonium family for the roses thrown to be pure, white-as-fallen-snow roses when the casket was to be lowered, I thought as my rose fell.

In the middle of the white rose throwing, someone or some people threw a red rose, a yellow rose, a black rose, and a purple rose on the elegant, cherry wood coffin.

My brothers, the twins, a few other troops, and I gasped. Who even had gotten a hold of colored roses? There had only been innocent white.

My eyes detected the movement of the colored rose thrower and I saw a teenage girl in a black bow pull back into the crowd, her long hair swirling in the wind.

Immediately, my mind connected her to the little girl from the dream last night ("Is that a threat, Brickie?") and shockingly, my dark side didn't do .

'.. Is that her?' the evil asked softly.

'I think so. Maybe?' I shrugged.

'.. She..' he started. '.. She's got a dark side too.'

Darkness disappeared as soon as he came and I found myself staring in the direction of the girl as she escaped the depressing atmosphere that the funeral created.

Someone tapped my shoulder firmly and I saw the sarge smiling sadly at me. He motioned that I was leaving and my stuff was already in the vehicle. I sighed, parted through the crowd, and saw my brothers standing by a limousine.

"Wow! This is definitely how I wanna leave!" Butch cheered happily, pumping his fist through the air.

"Yeah, this is pretty nice." Boomer nodded.

"Nice isn't the word, Boomer. Awesome or epic is more appropriate." Bandit smirked.

"What, was the general rich or something?" I joked weakly.

"I guess so!" a voice laughed cheerily.

I turned and saw the passenger side window was rolled down, allowing the chauffeur to see us. The driver was about twenty and had dark brown hair, parted in the middle and pushed to the side so his brown eyes could see us.

"You boys ready to leave?" the driver grinned.

"Hell yeah!" Butch said, jumping in.

"Yes, sir." Bandit and Boomer smiled excitedly.

"Hop in! Name's Nick, by the way." the driver said.

"Thanks for driving us." I said quietly as my brothers packed in.

"No problem. You're the war veteran." Nick said, saluting.

I gave him a watery smile and he returned it with an authentic grin, still ridiculously saluting me.

I clambered into the limo and shut the door, the last time I'd ever see Ezra and Arizona and everyone else. Butch and Bandit were talking about someone, Boomer was drifting asleep, and I found myself talking to the dark of me.

'I don't like this.' the cruel side complained.

'Too bad. Deal with it.' I sighed.

'I'm going to hurt someone. You can't control me forever.' he spat.

'You keep thinking that, kid. I will prove you dead wrong.' I scoffed.

'She had pretty eyes.' he replied quietly.

'Did you truly say that?' I gasped.

'I didn't finish my statement, Brickhead!" the blood-loving one growled. 'I want to rip her limb from limb and watch her pretty eyes dim.'

Horror filled me and I shuddered, knowing that if the evil, the truly demonic, side of me broke free, he would damn well kill Blossom.

'The hell you will. You're an abstract personification of my demon heritage.' I snarled.

'Believe that all you want, but face it; I _am_ you. You and I are two faces of the same coin whether you like it or not.' he hissed maliciously.

Malevolence was all he was, but my heart sank as I realized he was right. We were the same person; if I went down, he was down too and vice versa.

'I am the darkest desires you ever wanted. I am your cruelty, your nightmares, your dark side!' the darkness murmured.

'That might be true, but you will never be me.' I said adamantly, sticking to my own thoughts as the evil pushed its way into my conscious thoughts.

'But that's where you're wrong. We are you. I'm you and you're me!' he shouted.

'I will not bow to you. I will not break because of you.' I snapped, my mind shoving the cruel thoughts away.

'All it takes is one little time. It could be for the fastest instance and I'll be there. If this Blossom girl is there, I will hurt her, Brick. I will make her bleed.' he vowed darkly with a grudge in his tone.

'By taking this mission, I promised I would protect that girl with every fiber of strength in my body!' I roared, wanting the madness my demonic side caused to stop.

How did Butch, Boomer, and Bandit control the evil in them? Boomer and Bandit were two of the most innocent, happiest, casual people you'd ever meet. Even Butch seemed to have the bad side of himself under wraps.

'I will keep her from harm even if _I'm _the one falling, but I will go with my mission until the end.' I howled, loathing for myself burning.

'BUT IF YOU FALL, I DO TOO!' the evil shrieked.

'I know and I don't care. She is the one I'll protect till the day my heart stops.' I said stubbornly.

The dark in me was silent and gradually disappear back in the corner of my skull. I blinked, out of the stupor that caught me in its grip.

I glanced around, hearing nothing but the tires on the road, and smiled as I saw my three brothers asleep on each other's shoulders.

The limo slowed down and came to a stop. I peered out the window and saw a white mansion with a terra-cotta roof in front of me, the gray stone walkway lined with well-trimmed plants.

A large window in the front had a veranda and on both the left and right sides of the house were two more. Trellises stretched over the white paint towards the balconies and green plants had grown over them.

All in all, the whole outside was beautiful even the green grass lawn on which a girl sat with another one, playing with toys of some sort.

The two girls looked up and I gaped as I saw their eyes were abnormal colors; the girl with chocolate-brown hair had lavender eyes and the one on her left had a mixture of gold-rainbow.

"We're here, sirs!" Nick exclaimed, opening the door.

"Huh? What?" Butch yawned, awake.

"We're here!" Boomer squealed.

"Finally.." Bandit mumbled.

The two girls darted behind a bush, leaving their entertainment abandoned, and peeked at us shyly as if we couldn't see the tufts of hair that poked up over the top of the hedge.

Nick handed us our bags and explained that a butler would escort us inside. He then got inside the limo and drove away to park it.

We walked on the small path towards the two 'hidden' females. They jumped out, the purple-eyed one shaking slightly and the other brandished a sword.

"Who are you!" the evidently violent one demanded, struggling to carry the sword.

"Banzai, please put that down! We're going to get in trouble!" the brunette whimpered.

"As long as I don't know them, I will not, Bunny! Kolkolkol.." Banzai declared proudly, her eyes darkening.

I recognized the signs of someone with a living darkness in the feisty girl and Bandit slowly approached her.

"Well, I'm Bandit. I'm eighteen. What's your name?" Bandit murmured gently.

"Her name is Banzai, and though she's sixteen, she acts five. I am Bunny and I'm also sixteen." the brunette greeted as boldly as a timid girl could.

"Bunny! They might be enemies!" Banzai said, hyperventilating.

"You're just a little paranoid." the more mature girl spoke.

".. I had to be.. Kolkolkol.." she whispered darkly.

Before anyone else could say another syllable, another voice interrupted.

"Banzai, Bunny! What did I mention about talking to strangers?" a lilting voice chastised.

"Blossom!" the two teens shouted, bolting over to the speaker.

My throat closed up on me and my mouth turned to cotton as I heard the name Blossom.

"Blossom's right, you two! You could get hurt!" a girlier voice cried concernedly.

"Or they could hurt someone! You know, deep down inside, these two are tigers. They are fierce!" a throatier voice laughed.

"Bubbles, we're fine!" Banzai said from afar.

"Buttercup is wrong.. Angel's fierce, not me.." Bunny sighed.

My brothers shifted nervously near me as the speakers approached us.

'Ah, the girl! We finally meet her majesty!" the evil in me stated sarcastically.

The girls stopped and my pulse raced as I saw the one closest to me.

Her waist-length hair was the color of well-banked embers in the night and her eyes were pink roses that glistened with morning dew. Her skin was smooth and was a warm peachy color that looked soft.

I hid a shiver as I recognized the girl from the dream.

So, we meet again, Blossom..

~End of chapter!~

Brick: Review or whatever for peach cobbler!

Blossom: Or pie. Pie is delicious!

Me: *Nodding* Quite.

~Thanks for the reviews and follows! I really appreciate them :)~


	3. Chapter Two: Reunion

Looking After My Heart... Brick X Blossom... By the insane Dark Angel 91398..

Blossom: Dark Angel 91398 wants to thank everyone for the support and such for this story. She owns nothing, but her account, Ocs, fan fictions, and the idea.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*\ Chapter Two: Reunion *Blossom's POV*

My stomach turn as I saw a certain red-eyed boy standing in the walkway with who, I can assume correctly, are his brothers near him.

"Blossom, this is Bandit, Butch, Boomer, and Brick!" Banzai smiled excitedly as she pointed to each boy respectively with the redhead last.

"I see that. Isn't Arthur coming shortly to pick you up, so you can rest?" I asked, my mouth turning as dry as the Egyptian desert.

"Iggy is coming in a few minutes. By the way, he says he has a new book for you." she smiled sweetly.

I patted my cousin's head gently, twirling a stray lock of her braided hair, and she crinkled her nose before she managed to drag everyone away.

Everyone, that is, except for me and Brick who was staring at me in a way I can rightfully call intense.

"That Banzai girl is a little crazy, isn't she?" Brick laughed, seeing that my cousin was away.

"She is not crazy." I said sternly with a drop of anger in my voice.

"Oh, I'm sorry. Did I offend you?" he asked sincerely, frowning slightly.

"Of course. She's one of my family members." I scoffed.

"I didn't mean anything by it, I was just trying to break the ice." he replied with his hands held up in the universal "I surrender" position.

"Well, I suppose, it is a little true.." I smiled slowly. "Care for a tour?"

"Of course." he grinned. "You go first, mi lady."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at Brick's odd mannerisms and strolled into the house with the soldier following. Why was he so calm and casual? The last time we saw each other... Hadn't he tried to kill me?

"Right here, we have the parlor; the next door is the closet.." I prattled on, showing the boy each room respectively.

As we went through a narrow hall, I felt his hand brush against mine and suppressed a shudder uneasily despite his skin being warm. The same hand then trailed up to my shoulder and I tensed, walking with the intention of ignoring the actions.

The hand rested on my shoulder and I felt a lock of my bright flaming red hair being gently tucked behind my right ear. I wanted to slap that jagged, fire-red haired boy, but something stopped me.

"Blossom?" Brick asked, his warm, minty breath on the back on my neck.

"Y-yes?" I responded somewhat unnerved by what he was about to ask.

"How old are you?" he inquired innocently.

I spun around to face him and found myself practically nose-to-nose with the boy, his blood red eyes burning into my rose pink ones and into my soul. Despite how uncomfortable he was just making me feel, I had to admit that Brick was undoubtably handsome and attractive.

I only stood up to Brick's chin with flats on and he stared at me as if I was the only thing in the world. Even in the poorly lit corridor, I could seen that Brick was well-toned, not bulky but muscular, and his arms had the look of being sinewy and like the Greek god Ares's.

"Why would you want to know something as uninteresting as that?" I laughed.

"I'm just a little curious. I mean, we're going to be stuck with each other for a while and we know virtually nothing about each other!" he chortled casually.

"I'm seventeen." I replied.

".. You're a year younger than I am. Did we know each other at all?" he questioned.

I froze and was about to open my mouth when I saw a maid come out of a room ahead from the corner of my eye. I spun around and studied her to make sure she hadn't seen us so intimately close.

The maid, Berserk, had bright shell-shock pink eyes and her spiky auburn red hair trailed after her as she waltzed down the hall. The six-piece red ribbon in her hair twirled and I cringed at her violation of maid dress code.

"Oh, hello, Miss Blossom. I was just putting your tea out in the study." Berserk said, rolling her eyes at me.

"Thank you, Berserk, but you can call me Blossom." I smiled.

"Yeah, 'kay." she sighed. "Who's that behind you, Miss Blossom?"

"He's my guardian for a while, meaning he'll be staying here for the time being. Remember, I had you clean the extra guest room out for me?" I replied.

Berserk merely nodded, her focus completely on the soldier behind me, and her eyes scanned over his body. With a quick lick of her lips, she smiled.

"Well, hello, Mr. Bodyguard." Berserk winked.

"Hi." Brick said, completely not amused by the maid's antics.

"Don't you have chores to do?" I asked calmly.

Berserk's face flushed bright red and with a nod, she stormed into another room. Evidently, she was mad that I had stopped her from any devious, vulgar acts.

"Would you like some tea?" I asked Brick sweetly.

"As long as we have time for whatever else you have planned." the redhead replied, his breath tickling my ear.

Ignoring the redness that was building up in my cheeks, I led Brick into the study and I grabbed a cup from the tea cart, pouring the warm, chamomile tea in gradually before handing it off.

Brick's hands lingered around mine a little longer than needed and I ignored the jolt that raced through me and into my heart, the shock of his touch startling me.

"So, who was that girl in the hall?" Brick sighed, sipping his tea and sitting on a leather recliner.

"That was Berserk. She's a little rebellious, but she can be quite handy." I answered.

"Why was she so interested in me?" he demanded.

"Berserk is very, um, 'friendly' with her male colleagues and male member of the community." I replied reluctantly, biting my lips carefully.

I felt Brick's gaze brushed over my lips and I sank my teeth in myself a little deeper as I sat down on the leather love seat across from him.

"You really shouldn't do that." he murmured softly.

"Why not?" I frowned.

"I heard you can ruin your teeth and lips that way." he replied.

I held back a sneer of disdain on the topic and noticed Brick's eyes had a very glazed, glassy gleam to them. I gingerly approached him and he didn't react.

I wonder if this is normal.

-_-_-_-_-_-_/ ^^Brick's PoV^^

'Brick, this is so idiotic! I am about to just knock you senseless and take over!'

Again with this? I sighed inwardly as my dark side ranted on about how he was being jailed like a prisoner and such. Honestly, I never pay attention to his maniacal rant when I'm on a mission. After all, who would want to pay attention?

Why did my malevolent side drag me away from potentially being told about my past and Blossom to babble?

'.. You're thinking about her, aren't you!' the evil one howled furiously.

'No, I'm thinking about how stupid you are.' I retorted childishly.

'Hmmph! I happen to be quite intellectual!' he scoffed.

'Immature is more like it..' I mumbled.

'Anyway, she cannot keep making you become this domesticated house cat!' he screeched.

'She is not taming me! I wasn't a savage or feral before you!' I snarled. 'She has a name by the way!'

'I know! She's all you ever think about!' he roared.

I was about to snap a remark at my bad side when I felt someone cautiously shake me. I instinctively pulled the person down onto me before pinning the culprit beneath my muscular frame. My knees on either side of the same person's hips, I pinned the arms above the head.

With a blink, I saw it was the very petite redhead I was supposed to be protecting under me. Blossom's eyes were wide and I saw her snow white teeth sink into her light pink bottom lip.

Her cheeks as red as rose bushes, I saw Blossom's chest heaving up and down quickly. I must have given her a nasty fright when I locked her beneath me.

"O-oh, sorry, Blossom!" I apologized bashfully, releasing her upper body and kneeling.

"I-I guess y-you were thinking?" Blossom shifted in discomfort.

"Yeah, I guess you could say that." I laughed.

I noticed how cold her skin was and experimentally faked making my hand brush her neck. Blossom felt as if she had been locked in a freezer and I heard the door open.

The tea cart was luckily a few feet from the doorway, preventing the intruder from completely entering the room. I could imagined Blossom's panic if someone had seen us in such a scandalous position.

The wheels of the cart rolled back out the door and into the distance as it travelled down the hall. The door closed and Blossom struggled under me.

"I'm sorry, Blossom. That was a war reflex. Are you ok?" I asked.

'Please say no!' the dark begged.

"I'm fine, Brick. A little agitated, but fine." Blossom said.

The girl winced as she sat up, her hand naturally heading to her hip. I flinched as if she had tried to hit me and gently laid her back down.

"What are you doing?" the redhead demanded.

"Just hold on." I pleaded.

I gently began to lift the skirt of her dress and Blossom flushed, smacking my hand.

"Brick!" she chastised. "You're not in the war anymore, I'm not a comrade! W-we're in civilization and you're a regular boy!"

"Oh my god, I-I'm sorry! I totally forgot! I-I'm just so used to healing my friends when they're hurt, it became a habit!" I gushed.

"I-it's.. It's ok. You didn't remember.." she sighed. "We have to head back outside. Banzai's chauffeur is coming and she'll want me to be there to say bye."

I released the human girl and followed behind her loyally, a red blush over my cheeks and the bridge of my nose. This wasn't working so far..

'I'm glad I helped.' the dark scoffed.

'You made me do that?' I yelled.

'Yup. Even if I am trying to screw up this whole mission, I have to admit she is quite pretty.' he smirked. 'In fact, I made you forget that it wasn't wartime, so-.'

'Shut up! I don't care! I just want you to leave me alone!' I interrupted.

'Touchy, touchy! Getting a little sensitive that we secretly want her?' he snickered.

'I do not 'want' her! We're just on a mission and it's important we do not fuck it up!' I yelled.

'But, Brick! In case you forgot, we're the same guy, meaning..' he grinned.

'I do not want to deflower her! I do not!' I growled.

'We're the same man, Brickhead. If I am your dark side, and I want to take her, it means you want her.' he jeered.

'Why can't you ever leave me alone?' I moaned.

'Face it. We like her already. Why not try to get her in your bed?' he beamed evilly.

'Shut up, shut up, shut up...' I repeated.

Why can't the dark me ever let my life be heaven and leave me alone?

~End of Chapter! Poor Brick! Feedback is appreciated!~

Blossom: Review/Favorite/Follow and get..

Brick: A cupcake!

~Peace, peeps! Thanks for reading, reviewing, flaming, etc.~


	4. Chapter Three: The Garden

Looking After My Heart... Brick X Blossom... By the insane Dark Angel 91398..

Blossom: Dark Angel 91398 wants to thank everyone for the support and such for this story. She owns nothing, but her account, Ocs, fan fictions, and the idea.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_/ Chapter Three: The Garden ^^Brick's POV^^

I followed Blossom down the stairs, ignoring my dark side as he protested that he wanted to come out and 'play'... Of course, he would try to get Blossom..

"Blossom!" Banzai cheered as she saw her redhead cousin stroll out the door, dashing over.

"Hi, Banzai. Arthur isn't here yet?" Blossom asked, tilting her head.

"Well, a few more minutes. Buttercup got in trouble because she started fighting with Butch." the short girl explained.

"Well, I should have figured that.." the rose pink-eyed girl sighed.

'Butch, why must you always start something..?' my dark side and I sighed in annoyance.

A shining black limo, similar to the one that I had arrived in aside from the golden wolf crest on the hood, pull up and the window rolled down halfway. The blond man had large eyebrows and vivid green eyes, about twenty-three.

"Come along, Banzai. Alfred is trying to make you a cheeseburger at home and I have to stop him.." the driver, Arthur, said with pursed lips.

"Aww, but, Iggy! I loves a cheeseburger!" the sixteen year old whined, climbing into the car.

"Oh, hello, Blossom! I have brought you a new book! I hope you enjoy it!" the chauffeur said, passing the book through the window.

I caught the red-covered book before Blossom could and handed it to her. Blossom smiled and turned back to Arthur, who was now paying attention to me.

"Oh, good catch, chap!" Arthur applauded. "I must say, your reflexes are astounding!"

"Thank you, sir." I said with a slight grin.

"I don't recall ever seeing your face around the manor." he frowned.

"I just arrived. I am Blossom's bodyguard of sorts." I admitted. "You have an accent. You're not from here, are you?"

"No, sir, I am not. I am from London." he confessed. "Now, I must hurry. I don't want Banzai eating something as greasy as a cheeseburger!"

"Bye!" Blossom and I waved.

"Oh, yes, and Blossom? Make sure he sticks with you. He's a keeper." the man winked.

Blossom's face turned a powdery shade of crimson and the limo drove off, Iggy laughing his way out of the gate. I chuckled myself and of course, evil me was ready to ramble. (I'll just call him D.B. for Dark me, the "b" being my name.)

'Ooh! Seems as if you and Blossom are a thing already!" D.B. teased evilly.

'.. I am ignoring you now.' I sighed.

"Is Arthur always like that?" I asked innocently.

"Only when he knows I'll be embarrassed." Blossom confessed, a lock of ember blowing into her eyes.

"So.. You never answered my question earlier." I teased. "Are you going to now?"

"Um..." Blossom bit her lip again.

D.B. growled in irritation at the habit and using my own annoyance against it, took over. I shivered, feeling my eyes darken, and his malicious smirk plaster itself on my face.

"You really shouldn't do that." D.B. growled, leaning in a little.

'You tool! Get away!' I sneered, feeling a little helpless that I was trapped.

D.B. ignored me and gently pulled the pale pink lip from under the dazzling white teeth, his eyes glazing over her lips. Blossom's face become bright red and he leaned in closer.

"What? Are you embarrassed that I'm touching you, your majesty?" he snarled.

"N-No! I-I'm just not used to it!" Blossom retorted angrily.

D.B.'s smirk got bigger and he crushed his lips, our lips, against Blossom's as he tangled fingers in her hair. I felt my fury build up and I snapped back, forcing him back in the dark.

Blossom's eyes were wide and I felt her silky, rose petal soft lips against my rough, barely chapped lips. Her cheeks were a bright, cheery, fire-engine red and her hair was smooth yet so comfortingly velvety.

'Damn you! You stupid, little imbecile!' D.B. roared.

Blossom yanked herself away after a few moments and put her small, delicate fingers to her lips.

"I-I'm sorry, Blossom! I-I don't know what the hell happened, but-!" I ranted. "I-it's just something from the war!"

"It's okay.." Blossom said quietly, pulling her hand away. "But.. Your lips burned."

My cheeks lit up like a red bulb on a Christmas tree and I felt my lips. Sure enough, they felt like a fire poker that had been left near the fireplace too long.

"I'll explain later, ok?" I replied, ashamed of the dark's decision. Stupid..

"I guess." she shifted awkwardly away from me. "We have to go to the garden. I need to do something."

"Of course." I nodded.

Blossom normally wouldn't have me walk next to her, but, she was as relaxed around me as a young colt is around lightning. As we walked under a trellis to the garden, I decided to scold D.B. for what he did.

'Why would you do that!' I screeched, wanting to hit the demon.

'She clearly wanted me to.' D.B. insisted.

'Blossom looked mortified! How did that mean she wanted you to kiss her!' I snapped.

'.. Her eyes! She hypnotized me.' he lied.

'Liar!' I snarled.

'It was her first kiss too. That made it even sweeter.' he smirked.

""SONNOVA BITCH!" I yelled.

I must have shouted outside of my mind because Blossom jumped next to me. I sheepishly blushed and she gave me a concerned look.

"Um, Brick? Is there something wrong?" Blossom asked softly, gingerly putting a hand on my bicep.

"Nope. I'm good!" I lied with a fake grin.

"You sure aren't acting it." she mumbled, walking ahead a few steps.

I blinked as we stepped into the garden from my dream, the roses growing beautifully yet wildly. The headges were still green, well-trimmed rectangles. The only thing different was the water fountain that had a statue of an angel, water spouting from a rose in her hand.

Blossom approached it slowly and kneeled by the pool that was the base. She pulled something from her dress pocket and I came closer to see it was a silver ring.

"What are you doing?" I asked from behind her.

"I'm honoring my dad's memory." Blossom explained, shivering when I spoke.

"Oh.. I-I'm sorry." I stammered.

"You didn't know any better." she smiled.

"No.. I meant for everything." I swallowed.

She silently smiled and slipped the ring in the water without even a splash; the only evidence the liquid had been disturbed was the rippling that broke the serene stillness until they faded away.

I kneeled behind her and slid an arm across her petite waist, pulling her body to my chest. Blossom crumpled into a ball against me and my hand stroked her long hair gently, my other arm against her back.

"Why are you crying, Blossom?" I asked softly.

"I-I.. I don't know what to do without my dad.. I miss him.." Blossom wailed, her tears soaking the front of my shirt.

"Well.. You have me." I pointed out.

Blossom sobbed louder and I could tell I just upset her a little more than before. D.B. was uncomfortable and he let out a whine.

'W-what.. What is she doing?' D.B. asked confusedly.

'She's crying. Shut up.' I hissed.

'How come?' he frowned.

'She lost someone she loved a lot that she knew since she was very little. Go away now.' I sighed.

D.B. wasn't exactly pleased and watched the tears crawl down her cheeks slowly. I knew he wanted me to make her stop and I sighed.

Gently, I rocked Blossom back and forth as if she were a baby. Her cries subsided gradually and she clung to my shirt, burying her face in my chest. I ignored the upcoming blush and shifted to try to pry her from my attire.

Instead, I ended up falling back and Blossom landed on top of me, rose pink eyes staring into my blood red ones, before hiding in me again. I hugged her to my chest and slowly, her cries stop to soft, even breathing.

"Blossom?" I whispered softly in her ear.

".. No.." Blossom murmured back.

"No what?" I asked.

".. I-I just want to go to sleep.." she begged.

"O-on my chest?" I stammered, red-cheeked.

Blossom nodded and snuggled against me, almost childlike. I swallowed with worries D.B. would start up again, but nothing happened. Nothing except for Blossom wanting to sleep on me.

I held back a groan as the redhead's hands yanked my shirt up from my stomach and lifted it up innocently.

"Blossom, how about I just drop you off in your room and-?" I suggested.

Blossom's head shot up and I froze as hurt and betrayal illuminated those pink orbs that revealed my reflection. Her lips turned to a full pout and even the demon was scared enough to go with the idea of staying with her.

Scared that she might do something crazy and we would let down the deceased general's last wishes.

"Y-you would leave me when I'm hurt..?" Blossom inquired sadly.

"T-That's n-not what I meant! I meant, because you were mad at me and everthing." I explained quickly in hopes of restoring her calm demeanor.

".. Please.." she pleaded.

D.B. and I held back a moan. She was emotionally injured and face it, demons have no skill when it comes to helping with that.. I plucked the petite girl up and carried her inside as she straddled me, her face buried in the crook of my neck.

We went past the parlor, up the stairs, through the narrow hallway, past the study, and turned right into Blossom's bedroom. I managed to open the door with a hand while holding Blossom.

The room had sunset pink walls and a fluffy, clean white carpet. The queen-sized bed was decorated with cotton candy silk comforter, cream pillows, a brown teddy bear, and a smaller red-pink hearts blanket.

The red curtains had been pulled aside to let the blue sky surrounded sun in and let the viewer see the front of the house clearly, the driveway where my limo had been included. I wonder if she had seen me..?

The balcony's French doors were sealed shut and locked. Two white dressers lined a bathroom doorway and a small white nightstand sat near the bed.

I gently laid Blossom down on the bed and kneeled in front of her calmly with a concerned look on my face.

"Blossom, it's only six. Are you sure you want to go to sleep now?" I demanded.

"Yes. I just want to go to sleep.." Blossom murmured, bangs shielding her gorgeous eyes.

Blossom grabbed my hand and to my surprise, kissed my fingers lovingly. D.B. and I froze in shock at the touch, but Blossom didn't seem to notice; she ran a finger over a scar on my palm that somehow made me feel like I was in ice water, just in a pleasant way.

"Brick, can you go in the third right drawer and give me my nightgown?" Blossom requested in a hushed tone.

"Sure." I said, retrieving the garment and handing it to the seventeen year old.

I closed the curtains that faced the bed's right side and my skin crawled as I heard the soft rustle of Blossom switching gowns. I gulped and focused on the elegant yet plain design of the curtains before I turned around.

Blossom adorned a pale pink nightgown that had silver lace around the slightly dipped neckline, the frills pinned against the cotton material though the bottom lace dangled nicely.

My cheeks lit up again and Blossom frowned, cocking her head, finally dry-eyed. I gave her a 'What's the matter?' look and she replied.

"Why are you still in your military uniform?" Blossom asked with frown.

"You want me in my pajamas?" I asked, embarrassed.

Blossom nodded and I sighed, embarrassed. I used to sleep in just boxers.. I unbuttoned my shirt, letting my plain red white-beater out, slid off my boots and socks, before I blushed.

"What's wrong?" Blossom demanded.

"I'll be right back, ok?" I sighed.

"Why? Aren't you comfortable?" she asked with shining eyes.

"O-Of course! I.. I just need sweatpants!" I exclaimed, not wanting another crying episode.

"You can borrow my red ones. They are yours anyway." she mumbled, burying her head in the covers.

I sighed, dug through the drawer, and replaced my army pants with the still too large cotton sweatpants. Blossom was waiting for me already and I blushed, climbing onto the bed and under the covers.

She laid on top of me comfortably, a leg draped across mine, and I wrapped an arm around her waist. She buried her face in my chest again and I sighed as I listened to her cry herself to sleep before I drifted into a deep slumber.

But before I did, I was thinking of her lips and knew I would dream of her yet again tonight..

~End of chapter! Thanks for reading, reviewing, flaming, etc.~

Brick: Review and get..

Blossom: Muffins!


	5. Chapter Four: Eye for an eye

Looking After My Heart... Brick X Blossom... By the insane Dark Angel 91398..

Blossom: Dark Angel 91398 wants to thank everyone for the support and such for this story. She owns nothing, but her account, Ocs, fan fictions, and the idea.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_/ Chapter Four: An eye for an eye..

^^Brick's Dream^^

I was running through the hallway to Blossom's room, a red camo canvas bag tucked under my arm, and I cautiously peeked through the ajar door with a soft exhale. I was eight years old.

I saw a tiny, seven year old Blossom laying in her pink bed with a quilt tucked under her chin, a possessive fevered flush on her normally pale cheeks. A white thermometer hung between her lips and it beeped three times loudly.

I shoved the door opened and dashed over to the sick girl with concern written all over my face. I gingerly pulled the medicinal tool out and cringed at the high temperature. Blossom opened a pink eye and shivered.

"H-hey, Blossom. How ya feeling?" I asked, kneeling near her bed to look into her pained but luxurious eyes.

"B-Brick? W-where's my d-dad?" Blossom moaned feebly, trying to sit up.

"You have to lay down." I commanded, gently pushing the girl back by her shoulders.

Reluctantly, Blossom laid back against her fluffy pillow with an almost inaudible poof and I rummaged through the nearly forgotten bag. Blossom passed me a questioning look and I pulled out an rag-wrapped ice pack.

"I'm gonna take care of you, ok?" I smiled. "I promise, I'm gonna help you get back on your feet!"

"I-I'm fine, Brick, really.." the pink-eyed ginger sighed, pursing her lips as the ice pack was placed on her forehead.

"You're sick." I argued. "Your dad went out to get medicine and everyone else is trying to just get through today without disturbing you too much."

"B-But-!" she spluttered, trying once again to sit.

"Nope. You just have to listen to me and get better and not get any sicker." I growled, laying her back.

"... Fine.." she pouted. "I'm a little tired.."

"Good. Now go to sleep." I suggested sweetly. "Your dad will probably be back by then."

"Thanks.. Brick.." Blossom yawned, eyes fluttering.

Within a few seconds, the redhead was in a deep, recovering slumber and I gently reached in the bag again. My small hand touched something warm and fluffy, making me grasp it and take it out.

The object was a red cat plushie with a pink bow around its throat. I grinned a bit, placing it under the covers near Blossom, and watching her hug it in her sleep. I looked around a little, decided it was safe, and my lips touched the top of her head.

I blushed, realizing what I had just done, and sat down by her bed loyally.

~*~*~*~*~*~\ *Blossom's Dream*

I groaned, my body aching in pain, as I woke up. My eyes fluttered open delicately and I heard my dad's voice calmly chatting with someone. Brick's voice replied.

"What are you doing, kiddo?" Dad asked with a smile.

"I'm waiting for her to get better." Brick explained, blushing. "I promised her I'd help her get better."

"Well, she'll get better once she takes her medicine. Aren't you worried you'll get sick?" the man replied.

"Uh-uh. I'm healthy as ever." the eight-year old declared proudly with a smirk.

"You're a brazen and loyal child, Brick." Dad laughed.

"Thanks, sir!" Brick grinned. "I'm not leaving her side until I know she's 100% better!"

My cheeks flushed and I clutched a soft object near me tightly. I glanced at it and realized I didn't recognize it with a confused frown. A familiar aroma surrounded me and I felt my cheeks heat up.

Brick. It smells like Brick does, like burning hickory wood and cherries and strangely, Axe. Why is something in my room have Brick's scent on it? Brick usually isn't in my room long enough to leave a scent.

I heard Dad walk out and Brick's blood red eyes turned attention to me as if I had shouted. Brick's face lit up and he flashed me a dazzling white smile.

"Hey, you're finally up!" the boy cheered.

"Haha, yeah.. Um, Brick?" I asked.

"Yup, what's up?" he smirked, his hat's backward bill tipped close to his neck.

".. Where did this toy come from?" I inquired harmlessly, my rose pink eyes peering into his own eyes.

"Um, uh.. I-I dunno! Why would I know!" the redhead snarled, suddenly defensive about the question.

I noticed the way his smooth apricot-colored cheeks flamed an obvious shade of crimson and he shifted uncomfortably, as if I had just poured ants down his shirt. He scoffed and looked away.

"Why would you ask that?" Brick sneered.

".. It smells like you do." I explained shyly.

Brick's face burned a brighter red and he scuffed a Converse against the floor.

".. Yeah.. It was me." he said, scratching the back of his head.

"Well, thanks." I smiled.

"U-Uh, yeah.. No problem.. G-Get better, Bloss." he replied, walking out into the hallway with an embarrassed look.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-/ ^^Brick's POV^^

I let a soft groan as sunlight kissed my face gently, rousing my mind from my memory/dream that had entered my sleep.

I opened a sleepy eye and sat up, noticing the shades of pink around me. My cheeks flushed brightly as I remembered I was in Blossom's bedroom, obviously laying in her bed. Speaking of Blossom..

I looked next to me and frowned, noticing the redhead's side of the bed was made neatly enough to probably pass military standards. Her side wasn't cold, but it wasn't warm either. So, she would have gotten up not not too long ago.

I stretched and clambered from under the blanket, determined to find the girl. After all, what kind of bodyguard would I be if something were to happen to Blossom? I'd be failing the mission in the worst way imaginable.

The sound of the shower running flooded my ears and I blushed. Blossom's just getting a shower.. It would have been a disaster if I would have woken up while she was getting dressed..

I silently padded across the room and shut the door behind me as I exited into the hallway. I felt someone watching me and jolted as a finger trailed down the back of my neck.

"Good morning, Mr. Bodyguard." a flirtatious female voice purred as I twisted around to see Berserk.

"U-Uh, morning." I greeted warmly, trying to ignore the fact she was touching me.

'Someone has a crush!~' D.B. teased coldly. 'You might as well hook up with her.'

"What's your name, cutie?" she laughed, a finger tangling in my fire-red hair.

"Name's Brick. Um, I kinda need to get dressed.." I said nervously.

"Ooh!~ That sounds like fun, Brickie!~" Berserk squealed, leaning in.

The difference between Blossom calling me Brickie and Berserk was that when Blossom did it, she meant it in an innocent term of affection, friendship. Berserk, however, meant it as a flirtatious nickname full of lust.

Not as if it was working anyway. I prefered the way Blossom spoke it, her tone light and airy yet musical, even if she hadn't actually recently called me it.

"Sure, I guess.." I shrugged. "But, first, I need to find out where my room is."

"It's right across the hall." Berserk sighed, batting her long eyelashes at me with a pout.

"Merci, madame." I grinned.

"Ooh, la la!~ You speak French!" she gushed, gasping as she pulled away to lean against a wall.

Leaving the maid in her state of fantasy-enduced suspension, I raced through the hickory door and locked it before turning back to look at my surroundings.

The walls around me were a deep ruby red with a white carpet. The king-sized bed had a red-gold diamond pattern on it and pillows in shades of cream, red, and black were sprawled over it. Black curtains covered two large windows slightly near the bathroom door and closet.

A dark oak nightstand rested near my bed and an extra larger dresser sat against the wall opposite the bathroom. I noticed the large television across from the foot of my bed and smirked.

This is so much better than the bunks back at base. I walked into the bathroom and got a shower. The water was warmer than the ice cold water back at base, which made me grin.

Of course, during lathering my hair with shampoo, my 'beloved' demonic side decided to talk to me. Very, very awkward..

'Getting a shower?' D.B. asked evilly.

'Really? Really!' I huffed with a scowl that even the water couldn't relax.

'Yes, Brickhead. Really.' he smirked.

'What do you want anyway?' I snapped.

'Well, now that we have two girls in our grasp, I wanted to know which one lives and which dies!' he chuckled.

'Ugh! What makes you think either one is attracted to me and vice versa!' I growled, scrubbing my head as if to rid myself of my dark side.

'Well, it's obvious with the maid that she has a thing for you, duh. You gotta think she's attractive a little bit!' he scowled.

'In a hooker-y, has an infidelity problem, sleeping around way.' I said sarcastically.

'Huh, I thought she was pretty damn good looking.' he sighed dramatically. 'But that chick, Blossom? Holy hell, she can be my angel any time!'

'.. Shut up.' I growled. 'Shut up and stay as far away from Blossom as possible.'

'Oh, I am so sorry, Brick! Did I say something that hit a nerve? Am I offending your girlfriend?' he jeered.

'She is not my girlfriend. She's just part of my mission, just a childhood memory.' I snarled.

'Bullshit, my dear friend! She wanted you in her bed last night, kid. Fuck, we want the goods." he taunted.

I held back a shriek of pure exasperation and anger, rinsing the sweet-smelling soap from my body, and heard a trio of light rapping on the door. I turned off the water, wrapped a towel around my waist, and opened the door.

Blossom stood there, her rose pink eyes widen at the sight of me in just a towel and dripping, and I noticed her cheeks blared out her embarrassment in tones of red and pink.

"O-oh.. Sorry, Brick.." the teen blushed, her eyes sternly glued on the plush carpet beneath her feet.

"You don't have to apologize." I said, grinning at her adorable sudden shyness.

"I-I was just wondering.. Never mind. I-I'll see you later.." she mumbled, turning to walk out.

My hand impulsively shot out and grabbed her wrist, catching her before she could exit the room. Blossom's cheeks were as red as they had been in my dream and for some reason, this made me even more determined to make her stay.

"You don't have to leave, you know." I said softly. My cheeks were starting to turn a powdery shade of cotton candy pink as I spoke.

"B-But, you have to get dressed.." Blossom stumbled on her words with a painfully cute, bashful expression.

"I know. But you can wait out here while I get dressed in the bathroom." I murmured.

'Fuck that! Just kiss her and get it over with! C'mon! Lemme out! I wanna turn!' D.B. shrieked loudly in my mind.

".. I-I guess so." she sighed after a few pregnant seconds of silence.

"Great. Can you please pass me my bag?" I grinned.

Almost numbly, Blossom handed me the bag and closed the door behind me. I quickly donned black jeans, Converses, a checkered red-and-black button up, and my hat (as usual) before brushing my hair.

Blossom was sitting on my bed when I walked out and her eyes floated to my damp hair. I sighed, crouching in front of her, and looked up.

"What's wrong with my hair?" I frowned.

"Huh? Nothing. Nothing at all.. I just.." Blossom's voice trailed off. "I just thought about maybe doing your hair.."

I blushed furiously and sighed, handing her a brush. I felt her fingers lift my hat delicately and place it down on the bed before running though the wet mass that was my red hair.

It felt so good, so godly nice, I resulted in shaking with euphoria. I shuddered pleasurably as she continued massaging my scalp before I broke the comfortable silence.

"Hey, Blossom?" I asked.

"Hmm?" Blossom sighed as she stroked my hair.

"Did we know each other as kids?" I demanded.

"Um.. Uh.." she stuttered uncomfortably with a slight shake.

"Tell me the truth." I growled, eyes closing with the nice feeling that Blossom created.

".. I-I, I can't remember!" she laughed anxiously.

"Liar, liar, pants on fire." I taunted.

"Am not." she pouted, digits tugging with barely any more power.

"Too." I smirked.

"Not!" she argued, the tone making me open my eyes.

"Too!" I laughed.

I felt Blossom's magical hands leave my hair and I frowned as the equally magical pleasure that coursed through me with every touch left my body. My head tipped back to rest in her lap and I noticed the discomfort in the rosy eyes.

".. Did I make you mad?"I muttered with half-lidded blood red eyes.

"I don't want to talk to you." Blossom said stubbornly.

"Why not? I know we knew each other as kids." I sighed, my breath escaping in a hiss.

"..." Her silence unnerved me and one of Blossom's girly fingers traced a scar on the back of my neck. "Then why ask?"

"I wanted to know more." I explained.

"You mean.. You don't remember?" she asked, her fingering stopping at my hairline.

I shook my head and closed my eyes in joy as the touch continued on my skin. Blossom made me feel ice cold yet burning hot at the same time.

I couldn't help but feel a pang of envy as I wondered if she had ever massaged another boy like this, the imagery making me feel like I was ready to flip.

I felt my usual pair of sharp fangs poke out and I looked up at Blossom whose bangs shielded her eyes. I attempted to peek at her eyes, but backed up on to her stomach.

"Blossom? Can I tell you a secret?" I asked softly.

Why did I feel so mischievous suddenly? I had no secret that I had prepared to tell Blossom.. D.B. must be in my system.. But why was I still able to have control?

"Yes?" Blossom murmured in lilting voice.

"You need to get closer.." I teased.

Blossom leaned in slowly and I didn't tell her to stop until our lips were a few mere inches away from each other's. Impulsively, I planted a kiss on her lips and Blossom froze, heart beating as if she were racing.

My tongue entered her mouth and I shivered as warmth and coolness passed over my appendage. Why am I kissing her anyway! I bet D.B. has something to do with this!

"Brick.." Blossom whispered, wide-eyed, once I allowed her lips to slip away from mine.

"Yes, Blossom? What's the matter?" I asked in a honey-sweet, oil-slick voice.

"Why are your eyes two different colors?" she frowned.

I slid out from in her lap and raced to the bathroom to check the mirror. Horror and terror filled my soul, my limb, my heart. Blossom was right.

One eye was my regular blood red, the same color as my normal self's. But the other.. The other was my dark side's deep garnet red, the shade that too many people had seen before their death met them.

'What the hell did you do to me!' I screeched at D.B.

'WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN! YOU DID IT TO ME!' D.B. shouted furiously, panic bubbling in his voice.

We both gasped as we realized we hadn't done a thing to one another and I let out a whine.

What the hell? Blossom didn't know about my condition, my problem with being a demon, and this could give away my secret.. What the fuck should I do now...?

~End of chapter! Sorry it was so short! My glasses recently broke and I just got contacts.. Plus, school, the bane of my existence, is starting oh so soon... My apologizes, my dear readers/reviewers/favorite-rs/followers!~

Brick: Review and get...

Blossom: A burrito!

~Thanks for reading! Hope you enjoyed the shortness!~


	6. Chapter Five: Mirrored, derorriM

Looking After My Heart.. Brick X Blossom... By the oh-so-amped for Assassin's Creed 3, frustrated at FF Dark Angel 91398...

Brick: As usual, Angel owns just about, hmmm, NOTHING! But, she does like a lot of things.

Me: Is not my fault..

Blossom: -_-ll Enjoy the next chapter, folks..

Chapter Five: Mirrored, derorriM..**Blossom's POV**

Brick raced off and I heard him let out a growl of exasperation, as if he was fed up with something and it finally broke his limitations.

I blinked, feeling the ghost of his burning lips on my mouth, and felt the back of my neck tingle as well despite there had been no contact with Brick there. Gingerly, I touched the nape of my neck and winced as the heat burnt my finger.

"Brick, are you okay?" I called to try and forget the odd sensation on my skin.

"I'm fine! But the lighting's off in the other room, so that's why my eyes looked different!" Brick replied, chuckling rather nervously.

I frowned sourly at Brick's excuse of the bad lighting. I've been in this room thousands of times and no one's eyes, with the exception of Brick's, have ever looked different than normal.

Why was it that only weird things happen involving Brick? He was rather odd from the changing color of his eyes to the way he would space out randomly. It was as if he was hardly human and more.. Something else.

I couldn't control the impulse that caused me to go to the room where Brick was. Rashly, I stepped in and saw Brick, who looked as if he was staring into a mirror. He yelped as he saw me and I swore I heard a dark, throaty whisper of a curse.

"B-Blossom!" Brick's face paled as he blocked the mirror. "Y-you should really knock! I-I could have been.. Doing something!"

"Sorry.. But.. Why are you guarding the mirror?" I frowned, crossing my arms.

"Huh!? No way!" he snorted. "I-I just wasn't finished!"

"... Why can't you use it while I'm here?" I demanded.

"Because.. I need to make sure of certain things." he shrugged awkwardly.

"C'mon.. Please?" I smiled sweetly.

"Uh, um.." he stuttered. "Ugh.. Fine.."

I smiled and Brick reluctantly allowed me to slip past his muscular form. My rose pink eyes widened as I glanced in the mirror. Brick didn't have a reflection. Well, technically, a reflection stood where he was, but it wasn't him.

The reflection that replaced what should have been his mirror image had the same build as Brick and the same fire-red hair, but that was where the similarities end.

The mirror boy had deep garnet eyes that were a deep, deathly color like a poison and he was a shade tanner than Brick. His left eye was covered by a scar, running from across his cheek and up to the bridge of his nose.

Even his clothes were opposite of what Brick seemed to usually wear: the mirror image wore two thick, black bands on each forearm, black pants with heavy chains, army boots, a red band around his head with the words "Meet your death", and a red muscle shirt.

"Hey, Brick-Head! I didn't know I'd meet the queen herself today." the mirror image snickered.

"What the-.. D-did the mirror just talk!?" I gasped in shock.

"There was a reason I was in here.." Brick winced. "I told you to go."

"Aww, what's wrong, Brick-Head? Are you embarrassed?" the reflection smirked devilishly. "Hey, Queen Blossom! Ol' Brick has a-!~"

The rest of the words that the image were about to say slipped away from his mouth and he fell mute before with wide eyes, he disappeared. I blinked and went to turn to Brick, only to discover he had stormed out.

"Brick?" I called.

"Go away.." Brick pouted from somewhere in the distance.

"Where are you?" I frowned, ignoring the previous statement.

"I just want to be alone for a while, ok?" he huffed.

"Brick.." I sighed. "What's going on?"

The lack of conversation chilled me to the bone and I strolled out towards the door. For some reasons that are unknown to me, I imagined that the boy in the mirror was somehow related to Brick. I turned my back to the hall and called out into the room.

"Brick, if you don't come out now, I'm leaving and I'll go.. Um.." I threatened weakly, struggling for something that would make Brick come out. "I'll go and run away."

"Oh, no, you will not!" Brick's now infuriated voice growled.

I felt an arm weave its way around my waist and I let out a shocked yelp, being pulled outside the door. I glanced up as I felt my back against a certain boy's chest and felt Brick's hand gently cup my face.

"I don't understand you." Brick murmured softly.

"Don't understand what about me?" I asked confusedly.

".. How you could chase someone you barely know." he sighed.

One of his fingers brushed back a strand of ember red and carefully trailed down the side of my face.

"And especially knowing what I am." Brick continued. "A monster and a murderer."

"You don't act it-." I began.

"But, you know, don't you? I don't know why your dad wanted me to look after you." he frowned. "But, he did. He stupidly trusted a girl with a killer."

"Brick, stop putting yourself down." I requested.

"Why? Don't you get it, Blossom? I'm a killer. A murderer. The hands on you, they've been blood-stained. Doesn't that scare you? Knowing I've killed people with my bare hands and now they're on you?" Brick asked firmly.

"You're not killing anyone now." I pointed out.

"But, that's not the point! I could possibly, and successfully, kill you." he sneered in self-disdain.

"Brick.. Calm down. You're acting crazy." I pouted.

"Maybe I am crazy. Maybe I was crazy for accepting this mission." he grumbled, relaxing his grip on me intensely. "Maybe-."

Brick's voice trailed off and I felt the hand that was on my cheek move to the spot where I had felt the heated sensation. Strangely enough, when Brick glazed his finger on the spot, it felt cool and pleasant unlike my own finger against it.

"What happened to your neck..?" Brick inquired in a hushed tone.

"I don't know either." I shrugged methodically with an embarrassed blush.

"It's red." he stated as his fingers drew an invisible path around my neck. "You didn't get hurt, did you?"

"Uh.. No. Not at all. I-I guess I must have rubbed my dress against my neck the wrong way." I lied anxiously.

"Try to be careful." he sighed, releasing me from his hold meticulously.

"I make no promises." I grimaced, remembering how clumsy I could be.

Brick rolled his eyes and I pulled myself from his reach, taking the time to smooth out my pink gown.

"Oh, Miss Blossom! Miss Blossom!~ You have a letter!" a loud, obnoxious voice yelled from down the hall, an accompaniment of footsteps echoing in the air.

I spun around and found myself grateful that Brick had let me go when he did. If he hadn't, I probably would have never let go and Berserk would probably be witnessing something uncouth in the class system. Brick shifted nervously as Berserk skipped to a stop in front of me.

"It looked really elegant and important, so I decided to bring it to you as soon as Marky finished the floor." Berserk smiled sweetly as she handed me a cream-colored envelope.

I hesistated to open it as I studied the crest on the paper, the gold and black emblem of a crown and a jaguar shining majestically in the lighting. Careful to not rip the crest, I pulled a purple letter out and unfolded it.

"What does it say?" Brick asked curiously, blood red eyes shimmering.

"It's an invitation." I replied slowly, scanning the words.

"Read it out loud." he said. "Who's it from?"

"~Blossom,

You are formally invited to my gala tomorrow. It's going to be amazing, so don't be late. Also, my daddy has some business he wants to settle between your family and ours.

You have to bring a friend or two. It's a masquerade technically, so dress nicely. You probably don't remember me very well, so just say 'yes' to this invitation and we'll talk.

See you tomorrow! Princess Morbucks~"

My memory became a blank slate at the name of the sender, the mysterious Princess Morbucks.

Something in my mind fluttered to life, only to fall limp again into a hibernation. The name sounded slightly recognizable though.

"Who's Princess Morbucks?" Brick frowned in puzzlement.

"I... I honestly have no clue." I shrugged gracefully. "All I now know is that she apparently did know me and now, we barely remember each other."

"Maybe she was the daughter of your father's friend." Berserk suggested.

"Don't you have chores to do?" Brick huffed irritably at the maid.

"Of course! I forgot!" Berserk squealed dramatically. "Thanks, Brickie-Pie!"

I rolled my eyes as she blew Brick a kiss and waggled her fingers flirtatiously, winking. Berserk obviously needed work at a lot of things, but flirting shouldn't be what she was working on. A bitter emotion burned at me and pure impulse controlled me.

-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-_-/ ^^Brick's POV^^

I swallowed back disdain as I saw Berserk's pathetic attempts to get my attentions and felt a small arm wrap around me. I blinked and found myself staring down at Blossom's blazing red hair.

I gazed up and saw Berserk's discouraged face glaring at the redhead around me. Anxiety filled me as I noted the animosity in the maid's bright pink eyes, the want to destroy. Despite the hatred for the habit, I sank my teeth into my bottom lip.

"Blossom.." I whispered softly into the redhead's ear. "What are you doing?"

Blossom ignored me and wriggled closer to my frame in her hug. My cheeks heated up as quickly as oil in a pan and I watched Berserk's depressed form wander away before I managed to pry my charge off me.

"What's with the hugging?!" I demanded.

We'll both be in trouble if Blossom even had an ounce of love for me..

"She's not allowed to flirt with you." Blossom simply stated, removing the wrinkles in her pink sundress.

"Berserk can flirt with me if she wants." I blurted without a thought.

I felt embarrassment and shame fill me and paint my face red as I saw the emotions flash through Blossom's rose pink eyes. Anger, shame, and envy burned through her eyes before a final infuriated calm washed over.

"I-I am just putting it out there that she has the right to and you can't control her love life." I said, putting up the universal surrendering pose.

".. Fine." Blossom said.

"I-!" I began.

"Just fine. Go, Brick. And while you're at it, why not just watch over Berserk, huh? How do you like that, babysitting your girlfriend?" she snarled, her pink eyes burning.

"T-That's not what I meant at all!" I snapped.

"Just leave." she sneered coldly.

"Maybe I will!" I growled.

"Good. Don't come back." she hissed.

Before any more venom doused words could spit from our mouths, Blossom simply turned and slammed the door, storming into her bedroom. I felt guilt consume me and D.B., who had been silent the whole time, finally murmured something.

'You really blew it this time, Brick.' D.B. said flatly.

'You're not going to insult me?' I sighed.

'Sometimes, Brick, it hurts more not to.' he replied, shaking his head.

And after the voice of a demon faded away, I decided he was right; sometimes, it really hurts more.

It hurts like hell.


	7. Chapter Six: Pre-Party Priorities

Looking After My Heart.. Brick X Blossom... By the oh-so-amped for CoD: Black Ops 2, frustrated at FF Dark Angel 91398...

Blossom: Drama bombing us now, huh, Angel?

Me: Da!~ It was needed completely! There's too much fluffy and barely any action!

Brick: -_-ll And this is ruining my nice image of total innocence that completely does not exist in reality!

Blossom: Um, duh.

Me: As usual, I own nothing. At all. D:

Chapter Six: Pre-Party Priorities.. **Blossom's POV**

I let out an angry sigh of frustration as I closed my bedroom door and slumped against it with a dreadful, ghastly feeling. The feeling of regret passed over me like a waterfall over boulders, icy cold and shocking.

What was going on with me today? Why in the name of the world did I get envious of Berserk's flirting with Brick? She always flirts with just about every single boy that has ever set foot in the manor. I was used to the behavior.

So, why did I have that urge to grab Berserk by her hair, drag her down the stairs, and force her into the closet with a hungered, rabid stray dog that had brutal and vicious attack methods after pouring gravy on her?

I felt the trim of my dress nestled itself against the skin between my shoulder blades uncomfortably and I wriggled. The irritation wore what remained of my somewhat perky mind down. I sighed.

The invitation was still clasped tightly in my hand and I frowned at its crumpled state; the paper crinkled like an accordion. I locked my jaw and stormed over to my dresser to place my entire dictionary and encyclopedia set on top of it as I smoothed it down.

The sounds of a piano playing from downstairs filled my ears. The gentle, lilting notes sounded as sweet as honey to my frayed and shattered nerves. For a reason that evaded me since the day of discovery, I had always favored classical instruments and songs over any other type of music.

"Oi, oi, Papa! Hear me, Papa! Oi, oi, Mama! Hear me, Mama! This ribbon is the dearest thing I hold to my heart!~"

I pursed my lips in thought. There was only one mysterious person in the house who had arrived, but there was only an enigmatic servant who carried a sunflower yellow ribbon.

I glared at the paper that was just beginning to flatten before curiosity finally overwhelmed me as I heard the new butler's voice singing loudly.

"I need to come to term with these emotions! So.. Oi, oi, Papa! Hear me, Papa! Oi, oi, Mama! Hear me, Mama! I don't care what happens to me! All that matters is her! Let her be! Please, please, Papa, let me see her! Please, please, Mama! I'm begging, Mama!...~"

I opened the door impulsively; as the eldest of my sisters (and Angel), I was naturally maternal and hearing the raw emotion (pain?) as the boy sang, I couldn't hold the pity that rushed rampantly through my veins.

As though I were a marionette pulled by string, I rushed through the halls and stairs to the room where the piano played and the boy sang. The boy was alone, the curtains drawn tightly before the panes of clear glass.

He was absorbed deeply in the song that was rather ad-libbed or impromptu; there were no compositions strewn about. Not a single page. His eyes were downcast on the piano and I knocked on the frame of the doorway to get his attention.

"Sorry." I apologized as the boy jolted violently, falling from where he sat.

"S'okay. I shouldn't be playing this thing anyway." the boy sighed in his Southern drawl. "My name's Emmett."

"It's fine, Emmett. But.." I paused. "I could hear you from upstairs. You sounded.. Emotional."

Emmett's vibrant grass green eyes softened for a second and returned to their previous sparkling state. He shook his head and brushed back a few wild strands of dark chocolate brown.

"It's nothing.." Emmett mumbled. "I-I just.. Miss someone.."

"Oh.. Well, do you want to talk about it?" I offered.

"I-I dunno.. I'm not very good with words.." he frowned.

"Well, you're speaking, are you not?" I grinned.

"I guess so." he laughed. "It's just.. I really miss this one girl. It's stupid. I can't really remember her. All I remember is that she was really sweet and I liked her even if she was a year or two younger."

"How long ago was it?"

"... Erm.. I think.. Maybe.. Ten years. Possibly twelve? Eleven? I don't even remember.."

A low, sharp whistle sliced through the air and I turned to the source of the noise. My eyes narrowed angrily. Of course. Brick, leaning against the doorway opposite of me. It couldn't be one of my sisters or another servant, but him. Not as if my sisters would show anytime soon since they lived in different nearby manors..

"A whole decade? And you barely remember her?" Brick chided.

"Brick, don't be mean!" I scolded.

Emmett's tanned cheeks burned bright red and he looked around to avoid the gaze of Brick.

"S'not my fault.. She.. had to go." Emmett mumbled. "She had to go fight in a war again."

The gears started in my head as I studied the boy. He was around eighteen, seventeen minimum. Meaning that the girl had gone to war when Emmett was only five or six at the most.

"Most likely, she's long gone." Brick huffed.

"Tell me something I don't know." Emmett moaned. "I feel.. Pathetic."

"You're not pathetic. You're just nostalgic." I cringed.

"Maybe.. You guys can help me find her. Or at least, what happened to her." he suggested in a hopeful voice.

Brick shook his head and looked away in disdain. Why he just didn't leave was a mystery to me since he was oblivious to how fragile the world was for this boy. I pondered the preposition and nodded.

"Sure thing. I'll try, okay? But, for now, just try to stay out of trouble and do what you're told." I replied.

Emmett's eyes lit up and he nodded eagerly before darting away to go finish some task left abandoned. I turned to head back to my room when Brick's hand clamped tightly around my elbow, pulling back to him.

"Get off of me." I huffed.

"Give me one good reason to listen to you." Brick frowned.

"Because if I really wanted to, I could ship you back to whatever war you came from." I hissed.

"Would it matter? I've experienced it once already!" he sighed in exasperation. "It wouldn't matter; I wish you'd stop acting.. Like this!"

"Like what?" I scoffed sarcastically.

"Like.. Like.. Like a total bitch!" he snapped.

My eyes widened and I felt my stomach drop, as if I swallowed a large boulder and it was weighing me down (even if logic and the universe wouldn't actually allow it). As odd as it was, being insulted by Brick hurt a lot more than it should have. It felt like he just stabbed me in the stomach.

Involuntarily, tears filled my eyes and Brick's previously infuriated expression softened.

"Hey.. You know I didn't mean it, right?" Brick asked softly. "Blossom?"

I vainly attempted to pull my arm away from Brick and found myself stuck tightly in his grip. I felt the tears well up to the brim and I bit my bottom lip, shielding my face with my hair to prevent him from seeing me crying over his stupid opinion of me.

Not as if it mattered. Brick wrapped his other arm around me and carefully closed the space between us before letting my elbow go and removing the hair away as I jerked my head away.

"I.. Made you cry..?" Brick whispered in confusion. "You should said something. I didn't know you were sensitive.."

"You never got that through your thick skull when we were younger. Why now?" I mumbled bitterly.

"... You know I can't remember that far back in the past." he sighed heavily.

"How do I not know you're faking?" I demanded.

"You have no idea. You just have to trust me." he smiled.

I gave the soldier a glaring half-pout and looked away. Brick gently leaned in and felt his lips brush over my forehead tenderly. I stiffened at the decidedly amorous action in pure, concealed outrage.

"What if I don't want to?" I retorted sourly. "What if I decide not to?"

"That's on you then. It wasn't my decision to come here, but it was mine to be honest." Brick shrugged.

"Stop being so nice, you stupid jerk! Stop doing this whole touchy-feely thing!" I snarled in irritation.

Brick's eyes widened at my outburst and I yanked myself out of reach to go to my room. My body was aching and my hands were shaking as I stormed into my room. I felt odd, like I was sick, and I went to the bathroom mirror.

I glared at my reflection that was a totally different person. The girl looked an awful lot like me, but her clothes were different. Much, much more different that I had even expected.

A leather miniskirt barely covered the top of her neon pink fishnets and a pink sports bra rested on top of a black tank top that showed her navel. A frilly Lolita bow perched to the right of her hair and black streaks ran rampantly through her scene style hair.

'Hello, Blossom. How was your boyfriend today?' the mirror smirked.

'Blaze, leave me alone!' I snapped.

'Fine.. For now.. By the way, Berserk is not getting Brick any time soon with me around. Got it?' Blaze smiled. 'Good. Can't wait for the gala tomorrow! First things first, we use the decorations to stab all the girls Brick looks at. Then, we use the tiles as ammunition to decapitate the guests. Oh, how fun will this be!~'

'Brick's not going, you moron.' I snapped.

'Hmm? Aw, what a shame... I was looking forward to dancing with him while the guests bleed out on the floor..' she sighed.

'But, don't get snappy with me. You'll adjust to me in a few days. Now.. To kill Berserk brutally or to kill her painfully, that is the question to ask..'

'How did this happen?' I moaned.

'Ah, ah, ah! Silly! That's a secret!' she giggled condescendingly.

I stormed away and buried myself in blankets, dreading every moment I spent awake. Blaze wouldn't be quiet until she got what she wanted. And that was what she couldn't have: Brick.

-End of chapter!-

~I had writer's block. I apologize and sputseba for understanding. If not, that's also ok... As long as you don't flame me like an imbecile.~


	8. Chapter Seven: Where art thou, Charming?

Looking After My Heart.. By Dark Angel 91398..

A/N: Well, my laptop broke. Again. Fourth on this year. I blame the economy. So, anyway, enjoy the tres bien chapter and be patient because the updates are going to be even later. XP I apologize a million times over, but don't worry!

Chapter Seven: Where art thou, Prince Charming? **Blossom's POV**

"Wake up! Come on, get up!" someone whined, shaking me by the shoulders roughly.

I groaned in exasperation, turned on to my right side, and mumbled a "I'll get up in a few more minutes, okay?" sleepily. I stole a quick glance at the clock and my surroundings with a frown.

Why was I being woken up at four thirty-three in the morning when the sky was still a dark blue-purple? I wasn't to wake up at the latest until eleven thirty. I closed my eyes and snuggled back into my warm comforter.

"Come on, Sleeping Beauty. Time to get up!" a second voice growled.

I yelped as I felt the whole mattress shake under me and lift up at an angle before I fell onto the floor roughly after hitting the dresser. I pushed my hair back from my eyes into a ponytail and glared up at my invasive visitors.

"Have a good sleep? Good." Berserk smiled in a sickly sweet manner.

My eyes rolled over to my bed and I noticed who had oh-so-delicately lifted me off of my cozy nest. Brick's eyes seemed to be luminous in the darkness of the room as though they were fires that scorched inside of a dark cavern.

I rubbed the back of my head where I had struck the nightstand gingerly and ignored the pain that exploded the instant my fingertips touched my scalp. I looked back up at Berserk as Brick stood beside her moodily.

"What.. Was that for?" I demanded in a rather exhausted fury, that rare rage that was slow and sleepy yet all the more deadly.

"You have to get ready for your little dance, Aurora." Berserk giggled as Brick threaded his fingers in hers loosely.

I ignored the name she called me and continued to leer at the maid with the same tired anger as before, ignoring my former bodyguard's dark eyes on me as I felt them fill with a tense hatred.

Berserk continued her little rant on what I was to wear, how I was to behave, all those other menial details, and I froze suddenly as something flashed in my mind rapidly.

* * *

"Eisamkeit." a voice called mournfully.

"What does that mean?" I asked timidly.

"It means loneliness." he replied, whoever this voice was.

"Why do you call me that anyway?" I frowned.

"Because that stern face you have, the way you manage to intimidate people at times. Maybe it means you're just trying not to laugh at things that turn out bad." he replied thoughtfully. "With you, it's odd. It's being lonely yet not."

My frown deepened and I looked up at the snowy sky above us, the frigid clouds blowing only in the direction the wind allowed them to. The flakes were delicate still and he had yet to even allow them dust his hair.

"Come on. The skies are just going to get thicker." he commanded, turning away.

Silently, I nodded and his hand, wrapped in a purple glove, gripped mine firmly to led me in the way he allowed.

* * *

'What was that?' Blaze asked in a hushed voice.

'Your guess is as good as mine.' I shrugged.

'That boy.. Seemed familiar. Different energy, but familiar.' she murmured.

'Different energy? What do you mean?' I inquired.

My question was left hanging between us with an unbalanced air as I heard a shrieking noise and felt something wrap itself around my wrist tightly. I eyed the thing and recognized it as a hand.

"What the hell was that for?!" Berserk screeched like a cat who had had her tail sliced off.

"What was what for?" I asked numbly in confusion.

"She means.." the person holding my arm answered. "What the hell made you fall over and pass out."

I blinked and realized that Brick's grip on my wrist was the only thing holding me a few centimeters away from having my head knocked against the floor.

'Lie. Don't tell them a single thing!' Blaze commanded desperately.

I waited for my conscience to pipe up in protest and grimaced as that saintly, little voice didn't insist that we told the truth.

Not as if I minded too much. I didn't really want to tell the servants anything anyway. To please Blaze and prevent her from wondering about Brick, I lied.

"I.. I don't know." I said in a fake, uncertain voice. "I just spaced out and fell, I guess."

"Well, don't do it again." Berserk snapped. "I thought you got shot or something."

"Did you just say that?" I scoffed. "There would be blood and a gun casing."

"How do you know about guns?" Brick demanded.

"None of your concern." I scowled stiffly as I removed his hand and stood on my own two feet. "As you were saying, Berserk?"

"I was thinking that maybe we take you a salon or something. Maybe get your hair trimmed, just a few inches off the bottom." the maid mused.

Brick's eyes narrowed and he shot me a look as if to say if I got the hair cut, I would no longer be regarded as existing in his mind. I stared back at him defiantly and acknowledged Berserk.

"That sounds like a good idea. We'd have to find an open stylist though." I agreed with a small half-smile.

"We could just ask my sister, Brat, if she's not too busy. It'd give us time with our sisters and give Brick a break from work." Berserk nodded, looking over at Brick.

The boy's hard gaze fell on me and I brushed it off.

"I don't care. Why would I?" Brick growled in an odd monotone. "Go on ahead; I need to talk to my brothers either way."

Apparently, the queer tone of Brick's voice didn't disturb Berserk; the maid let out an earsplitting squeal of thanks and giggled as she dragged me by my long mane of hair to her hairdresser sister.

Brick glowered at us until we were out of sight and out of mind, his red eyes trained on me as if he were a watch dog and I was that drug dealing convict that escaped prison.

Blaze's usual presence was missing as I rummaged through my mind silently. Though she was irritating and bitterly, unnaturally, obsessed with that old childhood boy that had turned into something but a memory, Blaze and I had managed to form an unorthodox attachment to one another.

Maybe it was because she had prevented that melancholy nickname from coming back or perhaps it was because she understood me on a twisted, personal level; I felt both lonely and relieved without her here to wreck havoc.

Berserk dragged me inside of Bubble's house where Bubbles, Buttercup, Brat, and Brute were already sitting, Buttercup cursing up a storm and Bubbles relaxing. Bunny and Bully were busily running elsewhere as we strolled in.

"Well, well, well! Berserk, you finally dragged her along." Brute smirked as the brush in her hand ripped its way through Buttercup's hair.

"Ow! Watch how hard you fucking pull my goddamn hair!" Buttercup snarled, her emerald eyes narrowed.

"It only makes sense since they do have a little ball to go to." Berserk sighed.

Buttercup gave me a small half smile before she let out a long stream of curses with another yank of her short hair. Bubbles gave me a cheery wave and I smiled back at my sisters.

Dad used to separate us a lot and the time we did spend together was usually short-lived due to Dad having to leave to go back into the war, making every moment precious.

Berserk managed to shove me into a chair near her sisters' and I bit my lip as I heard them discuss what to do, even producing the long scissors that longed to slice the strands of my hair. What had I gotten myself into?

^^Brick's POV^^

I kicked the cement filled punching bag angrily, my blood red eyes daggers with rage and hurt.

'She knows something. I can feel it.' D.B muttered in irritation.

"How should I know? I don't even know who you're talking about." I sneered, hitting the equipment with a flaming punch.

'Don't lie to yourself. You know damn well Blossom exists.' D.B chastised.

"Who? I'm sorry, who is she?" I sniggered.

'Boy, straighten up. So what, you two got in a little fight. Don't lose her again, you dumb ass!' he roared.

"More than a little one." I corrected. "I called her a bitch."

D.B glared at me with his poisonous eyes and huffed.

"You suck with girls.." he snapped. "Especially hot girls with pink eyes."

I rolled my eyes and managed to reduce the cement to dust. I replied as I set up another one.

"Yeah, well, what the hell am I supposed to do?" I demanded. "Sneak in the ballroom dressed like a fancy, rich kid and become her not so Prince Charming?"

"Of course." D.B nodded with a dangerous kind of seriousness. "Why not? Stealing Cinderella is going to be a piece of cake with me around. Just be Romeo."

"That.. Makes no sense." I huffed.

"Actually, it does. Think about it: how did Romeo get Juliet? He snuck into a place that he shouldn't have been in and he stole her heart. Literally, speaking with a dagger."

"Thank you for that disturbing mental image."

"Anytime. Just don't, ya know, make her go all suicidal on you and stab herself in the chest."

I sighed, ceasing my abuse on the gym equipment, and looked at my dark side with a stubborn gleam in my eyes as I replied.

"You and I both know we'll never be Romeo let alone Prince Charming."

His jaw locked with the same passion that burned in my stare and with a fastening scowl, D.B shook his head.

"We can try, can't we? It won't kill us, well, not yet anyway." D.B mumbled.

"Why are you even trying to help me?" I asked suspiciously. "Before, you were oh so willingly to rip her pretty fucking head off and now, you're as lethal as a teddy bear and just as soft."

D.B shot me a glower that would have made Butch himself piss his pants and that fanged mouth opened up with a hateful, rueful excuse.

"Who said I'm helping? For all you know, I could be fucking with your mind and playing with her heart at the same fucking time. But, you wouldn't know that, would you?"

"You're too busy worshipping the ground she walks on and crying over her, aren't you? Too busy dreaming those sick little fantasy that she'll love you and only you, that she'll want to have you kiss her and marry her."

My cheeks refused to burn like a candle in front of him despite the facts he had just spat and I gave him a blank, thick stare that betrayed no emotions.

A tense silence filled the world and it felt as if a bomb were about blow with a disarming man failing before it hit me.

"I never imagined that we'd get married."

-*-*-*-*-*-*\

**Blossom's POV**

Bubbles gaped as Brat and Berserk snipped away at my hair with those dreadful scissors that seemed to laugh a cold snipping laugh.

"Ooh, Blossom, you look so.." Bubbles gushed as she watched the metamorphosis unfold from the sidelines.

"Different." Buttercup said, finishing the blonde's statement with a look that could have been a look of awe or of shock.

"What does it look like?" I sighed, readying my hand to push the hair from my face and look into the mirror.

"No! Don't touch! You'll see it in the end. Wouldn't want to ruin the surprise, would we?" the maids scolded like startled geese.

"Are we done yet or at least, close to it? I can't feel my feet." I complained irritably.

The whole makeover procedure had started a few hours ago and was still steaming along strongly. The sun's golden fingers had stretched over the horizon about forty five minutes ago and still, I was stuck in the accursed chair that the beauticians insisted I sit in.

"Close, but.. Brute, pass me the curling iron. Her bangs are not cooperating and it's annoying the hell out of me." Berserk mumbled.

My eyes closed as the heat of the tool washed over my face and I waited for this horrid nightmare to end.

"And.. okay, Ms. Blossom, you can look in the mirror now." Brat said as she brushed the hair from my face.

I blinked and gazed into the mirror with an odd feeling of forgetfulness consuming me.

My flowing tresses no longer spun around my waist and were decidedly shorter with the tips barely ending in the middle of my back. My bangs were cut to half of their original length except for the pieces closest to my ears that were curled in loops.

"Well, what do you think?" Berserk smiled widely.

My eyes scanned over to my sisters and Berserk's before I replied.

"It looks.. Great. I really like it!" I chuckled slowly. "I wasn't sure about the length though, because my hair's always been so long."

The Plutonium sisters all let out a loud, obnoxious squeal and Buttercup's left eye twitched in irritation.

"I'm so relieved!~ I thought you'd be mad that we cut it so short." Berserk giggled.

I thought about declaring that no, I wasn't mad but furious, and went against the idea since the girls were so cheerful.

"Are you ready to get your dress on?" Brute asked.

"I hate dresses.." Buttercup scowled.

"Am I ever!" Bubbles grinned. "I would love to!"

"What about you, Ms. Blossom?" Berserk asked quietly.

"I guess so. We should be leaving soon." I sighed.

Berserk smiled mysteriously and disappeared with a finger held up to signal that I should wait for her quick trip. My eyes trailed back to the mirror and I seemed mesmerized by the transformation.

The little details I have missed seemed clearer; the mascara and eyeliner seemed bolder than before on my pale skin. I hadn't realized that my lips were painted a light pink and the lids of my eyes a shadowy color.

"Hey! You!" a voice barked.

I turned around and blinked as I saw two boys, dressed somewhat like Brick, running towards me. Evidently, the one in green with black hair had spoken as he let out another gruff snarl.

"Have you seen Buttercup?" the dark-haired boy demanded sourly. His green eyes were a murky, dark shade that kind of reminded me of a pond that had been left abandoned by the world.

"And Bubbles?" the blond added in a quieter tone. "I-I was supposed to stay with her, but, um.. I kinda.. Lost.. her.."

"Of course, I saw my sisters. They're getting their dresses." I replied, trying to ignore the brunette's rough disposition and focused on the blond's sunny look.

"Pft! Buttercup wearing a dress?! Now, this, I gotta see!" the brunette sniggered wickedly.

"Butch, you pervert! They're getting changed!" the blond yelled, his cheeks turning the same shade of scarlet as Brick's eyes.

"I didn't mean it like that! God, Boomer! Do you live to make me seem like the bad guy?!" Butch snarled.

"They went straight back." I sighed.

"Thanks." the two sighed, glaring at one another, before trudging in the direction I had pointed to.

I frowned as I thought of their outfits that were reminiscent of Brick's army attire. Maybe they were Brick's brothers, I wasn't sure, but I did know I hadn't cared to know.

Berserk dashed back, followed by Bully and Bunny, and I smiled at Bunny's dress. She gave me a small wave and Bully dragged her off to wherever Buttercup and Bubbles had gone.

"Close your eyes." the maid ordered.

"Is this necessary?" I demanded. "Really?"

"Yes! Now!" she barked in a tone that reminded me of the boy, Butch's.

With a huff, I squeezed my eyes closed and felt Berserk place something in my hand. I opened my eyes and my mouth grew slack with surprise.

Gingerly, I laid the dress out on the counter and studied the dress. The pink satin was pleated around the chest area to meet in the middle with silver and the skirt of the dress had a thin layer of silver velvet and lace on top.

My cheeks flushed, noticing the gown was sleeveless, and Berserk laughed.

"I'll go get the accessories. You try on the dress! I'll be right back!" the girl called, running off.

I sighed, cheeks still burning, and I walked to the basement to change in the bathroom. I stopped as I saw the strange shadow on the wall and I slammed the bathroom door behind me as fast as I could.

-_-_-_-_-_-/

^^Brick's POV^^

The conversation between D.B and I stopped abruptly as I heard the loud thud of a door being slammed shut and I froze.

Nothing to be paranoid over, right? Just the wind.. Or some servant. Definitely not someone who is trying to sneak up on me or anything, right?

The anxiety built up in me rapidly as I remembered the war and I couldn't resist the temptation. I quietly tiptoed to the location of the noise and I crouched among the shadows like a leopard in the savannah.

The door of the bathroom swung open again and I smirked to myself wickedly as I readied myself to pounce on whoever the poor unsuspecting person was. The only sounds I heard where the soft steps and the pounding of my heart.

"Brick?" a voice asked. "Why are you... Are you trying to stalk me?!"

I felt my cheeks heat up wildly as my eyes found pink ones and I stammered an excuse as Blossom looked down at me, looking absolutely beautiful in her dress.

"No! I-I kinda, just a little, thought that, maybe..!" I stuttered.

"Just.. Be quiet. You're not making any sense and you're giving me a headache." Blossom huffed impatiently.

"You shouldn't go to that stupid ball." I blurted.

Blossom's wide eyes passed over my features and her mouth became a tight, straight line.

"You're too.." I struggled for words.

"Special. And quite frankly, I hate the idea of a random guy dancing with you."

Blossom gazed at me, confused and surprised and all the other emotions going through her written on her face.

We stared each other for a while before she broke the spell I had casted and started her way up the stairs in silence. The ginger paused for a moment with her hand resting on the door's knob and spoke.

"I don't see why it matters to the same boy who used to tell me I wasn't worth the air I was breathing."

And with that, the mysteriously regal girl who was so close to me yet so painfully far away went off to search for a different Prince Charming who deserved her and not a war veteran Romeo.

-End of Chapter-

Sorry for the chapter clearly not being well-written. I again apologize, but, I'd like to dedicate my anger towards my brother and dog. Thanks, guys. Really... -_-ll

Blossom: Review for cinnamon pound cake!

Brick: Remember, reviews help write the story. Kinda. In a way. Maybe.

~Peace, peeps!~


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